


The Fire

by NotManTheLessButNatureMore



Series: I Love You [4]
Category: Cormoran Strike Series - Robert Galbraith
Genre: a pine forest of pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-27
Updated: 2018-11-27
Packaged: 2019-09-01 09:08:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16762168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotManTheLessButNatureMore/pseuds/NotManTheLessButNatureMore
Summary: "He knew this fire, knew its touch and knew its destruction, and knew the desolation of its absence well."





	The Fire

**Author's Note:**

> I cheated with this one cause there's no actual 'I love you' said, but it's there so I thought I'd stick it into the series anyway.

“Christ!”

“You alright?” Strike called from his office.

“It’s bloody freezing!” Robin was sat behind her desk with her coat, hat, scarf and gloves on and a steaming mug of tea in front of her. The annoyingly lingering heat of the summer had finally given way to winter and the coldest week yet had coincided with the heating system in the office breaking down. Robin blamed it on the building works going on around them, a source of constant irritation, and threw dark glances towards the window at various intervals, much to Strike’s amusement.

Strike shuffled into the main office as Robin pulled the fan heater closer to her. He was wearing his coat as well and had the bottom half of his face buried in a deep maroon woollen scarf.

“Pub?” The warm and comfortable confines of the local pub had been Strike’s answer to the cold each day Robin decided they were on the verge of hypothermia.

“My body temperature says yes but we’ve got to finish this paperwork, otherwise we’ll have to do it over the weekend and then I really will freeze to death.” Strike smiled at her response, knowing that he himself had work to do before he could escape to Ilsa and Nick’s house for the weekend.

“I’ll be back.” Strike disappeared out the door and Robin shivered at the small gust of icy wind that he had let in. She heard him lumber up the stairs. She’d noticed the cold was making his bad knee stiffer than usual and his gait was more uneven as he shuffled repeatedly from kettle to desk.

A few moments later she heard him return down the stairs but this time there was the sound of his steps followed by a metal bang all the way down. With a final bang she saw his shadow outside the door before it swung open. He shoved a portable radiator in front of him which rolled across towards her, and in his arms she saw he had two hot water bottles with him.

“Reinforcements!” He smiled to her as he headed towards the kettle to fill the hot water bottles.

“Is the heating in your flat broken too?” Robin asked with concern.

“Yeah, it’s all on the one system apparently. Even more evidence that what my landlord calls a comfortable and compact flat is just a glorified storage box.”

“I thought you said it was fine.”

“Well it has been, as long as I’m straddling this thing.” He said, looking toward the radiator he’d carried in.

“How have you not frozen to death?”

“Once slept in a tent with no shelter during a snowstorm. Nothing will ever feel as cold as that.” Strike shrugged as the kettle finished boiling and he started filling the hot water bottles. He passed them both to Robin who took them gratefully and hugged them to herself.

Strike plugged in the radiator and collapsed onto the farting couch, stretching his knee with a grimace.

“That thing’s heavy.” He mumbled.

“Old man.” Robin replied as the new source of warmth spread through her core.

“I once benched 240 pounds in my glory days I’ll have you know.” Strike said, feigning offence as he stuffed his hands under his armpits for warmth.

“‘ _once_ ’.” Robin smirked.

“I’m trying to save you from hypothermia here and this is the thanks I get? I’m glad now I didn’t bring down my duvet for you.”

They both laughed and Robin stood, bringing the blanket she had wrapped around her legs and the hot water bottles with her, and joined him on the couch. She held out one of the hot water bottles.

“No, you keep it.”

“Take it!”

“No.”

“Take it! Put it on your knee at least, it’ll help take the stiffness out of it.” Robin held it out to him until he took it with a wary smile and a raised eyebrow.

“What?” Robin asked.

Strike said nothing, just turned and looked away and Robin watched his eyes as they stared off into the middle distance.

Cormoran had experienced many of these moments now with Robin. Moments that were of no special value, just cups of tea and shared smiles, but something had changed in the last few months and thus these shared moments had changed too. He wondered if Robin felt this movement, this shifting of red lines, as well but the answer alluded him, sober and drunk, sleepless and well-rested.

Deep down he knew what had caused this change for him. A tiny piece of kindling had appeared beside Robin when he saw her in that green dress, another came wrapped up in a hamper beside a bottle of Cornish beer and a packet of fudge. More and more appeared at his feet during car rides and pub meetings. Fuel dripped slowly but steadily, arriving with the touch of lips to a hand and the support of an arm around his waist. A forgotten and discarded bloody scarf was soaking in it. A single torch, despite taking a pummelling from an engagement ring, was thrown atop the bonfire crowned with a wedding invitation.

The hug they shared on Robin’s wedding day had burnt him instantly and deeply, pouring petrol over every inch of him. No amount of alcohol or mindless sex could smother the fire that stalked him. He knew this fire, knew its touch and knew its destruction, and knew the desolation of its absence well.

A word hidden deep inside his chest could soothe this fever and nourish the scorched earth left in the fire’s wake. But it is a word that has done too much damage in the past and a word he can’t acknowledge, not without being sure of its acceptance on her part.

“It’s going to be freezing tonight.” Robin’s voice brought him back. Her felt her warmth on the couch beside him.

“Mm.”

**Author's Note:**

> As always thank you for the kudos and comments I've gotten so far, they truly mean a lot :)


End file.
